Treatment Following Intoxication With Lethal Dose of Paraquat: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

Introduction:Paraquat is a widely used nitrogen-based herbicide which is lethal and causes multi-organ failure by accumulation in cells, which subsequently leads to death.Case Presentation:The present case report introduced a 25-year-old male with nausea, vomiting, and severe substernal burning sensation after incidentally ingestion of a large amount of paraquat. The treatment of the patient with antioxidants (N-acetylcysteine and vitamin E) and hemodialysis started immediately after arriving to the hospital.Conclusions:Immediate and adequate use of antioxidants and hemodialysis has an undeniable and important role in survival of patients after ingestion of a large amount of paraquat.

Delayed death following paraquat poisoning: three case reports and a literature review

“…28 Nausea, vomiting, and a severe substernal burning sensation are indicated after accidental poisoning caused by ingesting approximately 100 ml of PQ (60% solution) concentration. 29 Nausea, vomiting, discomfort, and neutropenia were observed in a 15-year-old girl, who ingested a small quantity of wine full of PQ. 30 Similarly, 10 symptoms including cough, diarrhea, eye irritation, headache, nausea, rhinitis, throat irritation, breath- ing trouble, unusual tiredness, and wheezing were found to be significantly elevated after PQ exposure.…”

“…49 In addition, epilepsy or convulsion was investigated in clinical case reports and studies. 28,29,50 Therefore, PQ-induced neurotoxicity is a matter of concern and should be prevented or treated in intoxicated patients. These findings indicated that PQ poisoning patients should be followed up for a long time after discharge from a hospital.…”

History and perspective of herbicide use in Australia and New Zealand

“…It is highly effective at killing plants, but is also known to be highly toxic to humans. Ingestion of paraquat causes organ failure and subsequently death, and poisoning with this herbicide results in the highest rate of mortality of all pesticides (Davarpanah et al, 2015). In South Korea, paraquat was commonly used as a method of suicide prior to its prohibition (Myung et al, 2015).…”

Filamentous fungi with high paraquat‐degrading activity isolated from contaminated agricultural soils in northern Thailand

“…Paraquat also induces the multi‐organ toxicity with necrotic damages to the lung, liver, kidneys and heart (Davarpanah et al . 2015). Since paraquat is corrosive, mild poisoning can irritate the upper gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tissue resulting in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and acute respiratory distress.…”